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During his keynote address at Accelerate 2017, Mark Roberge observed that the commercial real estate industry feels a lot like the software industry 10 years ago. That is, the sector is ripe for a similar transformation.

Venture capitalists are clearly paying attention when it comes to commercial real estate. In 2016, the real estate technology sector saw record-breaking deal activity and more than $2.7 billion in investments. According to Nick Romito, founder and CEO of VTS, the current rate of growth suggests the sector could see somewhere around $2 billion in new investment in 2017.

What role will technology play in the future of brokerage and the role of the broker? How are the world’s leading commercial real estate firms thinking about technology and preparing their companies to capitalize on this rapid digital change?

Back in 2010, one of my best friends and I had a crazy idea for a company that we believed would help drive commercial real estate forward. We were put in touch with a venture capitalist to get some honest feedback about the concept and heard some pretty inspiring words: “That’s a terrible idea. The people in that industry are never going to change.”

Boston is known as a gateway city in the United States for global commercial real estate investment for several reasons. It’s arguably the country’s educational Mecca, due to the area’s density of blue-chip universities. Major financial firms have large outposts there, as do technology companies. Plus, it’s a tourist hub for those wanting to experience the nation’s historical past, as well as its popular sports teams.

With data starting to take centre stage in the property industry, at VTS we are keenly interested in what lessons can be learned from other industries that have undergone a similar evolution. Interestingly we identified that a strong parallel could be drawn between commercial property and other established industries, in particular commercial property and Premier League football. This is a less traditional comparison than fintech, but if true, an extremely insightful analysis of how data can be applied in a wider context.

For the entrepreneurial real estate professional who is time poor but wants to stay up to date with the latest market trends and learn lessons from other masters of industry, podcasts are a fantastic resource. They’re not as time intensive as books (although kudos if reading is actually your thing – check out our list of top books for CRE brokers), and are an excellent way to make the most of your time on your commute or while working out.

I have written before about the symbiotic relationship between PropTech and FinTech, about how both industries rely mutually on each other’s success. But upon closer examination, the relationship is even more intricate than I first appreciated. Whilst aspects of PropTech may need FinTech in order to succeed, FinTech will continue to thrive without any involvement in property.